DAC approves capital acquisition proposals worth Rs 52,000 crore to enhance combat readiness

📌 Summary:

• Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to proposals worth ~Rs 52,000 crore on 3 July 2026
• Army: Anti-UAV EW system 'AKASH TARANG', Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM), Medium Range SAM (MRSAM), Very Short Range Air Defence System (V-SHORADS), Active Protection System for tanks, Jet-Based Kamikaze Drones
• Navy: Multi Influence Ground Mine (MIGM), Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial System (NSUAS), Land Based Testing Facility for electric propulsion
• Air Force: Fixed-Wing High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (FW-HAPS) for persistent ISR, telecom and remote sensing
• Strong thrust on indigenous counter-drone and layered air-defence capability

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Defence — indigenisation, emerging military tech, and the DAC/AoN procurement mechanism.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• DAC is the apex Defence Ministry body for capital acquisitions, chaired by the Defence Minister
• AoN (Acceptance of Necessity) is the first 'in-principle' approval stage of procurement
• HAPS = solar-powered stratospheric 'pseudo-satellite' platform

🔑 Key Term: Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) — initial administrative approval by DAC that begins the acquisition process.